Recommended 3rd Grade Reading List

Second grade introduced the concept of reading longer materials for fun. In third grade, students continue to expand their reading and writing skills. This year, there is an emphasis on learning about additional types of writing including poetry, fairy tales, folklore and more. By the end of the year, your child will understand how to find meaning in both fiction and non-fiction stories. This 3rd grade reading list is a great place to start.

A huge advantage of homeschooling is that you know your child’s likes and dislikes. This can help you select books from our reading list which your child will be interested in. The third grade reading curriculum is more about learning specific concepts than reading specific books. So you should have no problem finding a variety of reading material which your third grader will find interesting and engaging – but which you’ll also find educational.

An Overview of Third Grade Reading

Third grade is about exploring different types of reading materials. While second grade focused on chapter books, in third grade we expand upon these longer reading materials by introducing literary, informative and practical reading materials.

Third graders will learn the difference between fact and opinion. They’ll also learn how to infer main ideas across a variety of different types of prose. By the end of the third grade, students will have multiple reading strategies on how to construct meaning from text. Also, individual, silent reading will be a regular habit.

If there’s one idea you want your child to understand this year, it’s that reading is thinking. Third grade is the year you want your student to understand that reading is going to be a big part of their school lives for quite a while. The more reading they do, the easier school in general will be for years to come.

Reading Goals for Third Grade

Reading Comprehension

Familiar with literary, informational and practical texts
Familiar with poetry including the concepts of stanza and rhyme
Able to identity character traits
Basic understanding of simile and metaphor
Able to infer the moral lesson in fairy tales, fables, legends, myths, etc.
Able to compare literary selections to one another
Understands difference between fact and opinion in text

Qualities of a High Performing Third Grade Reader

Reads for extended periods of time to self
Reads for fun, information, education and more. (Reads for a variety of purposes.)
Reads a variety of topics
Has personal reactions to material read

Third Grade Reading Strategies

Throughout the third grade students will learn how to:

predict words using letter clusters, vowel patterns and more
understand unfamiliar words by sounding out words, using picture clues and context
use phonics to pronounce unfamiliar words
find smaller words within larger ones in order to determine meaning
use headings, italics and bold print in organizing documents
support ideas by referencing text
paraphrase information from a text
revise and edit their own original writing
increase vocabulary
improve ability to read aloud with confidence and clarity

Home Teaching Strategies for Third Grade

Teaching at home gives you an excellent opportunity to tailor your lesson plans to your child’s interests and needs. Every subject offers opportunities to involve some reading lessons, especially if you’re assigning written reports.

As a teacher you’ll want to incorporate the following into your lesson plans for third grade:

Provide daily opportunities to read and evaluate both narrative and expository texts.
Teach students how to examine ideas in texts.
Provide opportunities for your child to express him or herself in writing.
Emphasize correct spelling, grammar and form in written assignment.

Of course, you’re not just the teacher. You’re also the parent. This means you can find a way to sneak reading lessons into your child’s day-to-day activity. Some examples include:

Have your child help create the family grocery list. Then let them use their reading skills during shopping.
Visit the library and bookstores with your child. Make new books a reward for good behavior.
Read together at bedtime.
If your child seems interested, encourage them to write their own short stories (maybe even using their favorite fictional characters).
Involve reading and writing in other activities your child enjoys. For instance, if your child likes football, maybe spend some time together reading about famous players.

3rd Grade Reading List

Are you searching for a third grade reading list to supplement your child’s other studies? Here are some recommended books for third grade students.

We included a list of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and classic novels that you may even remember reading when you were younger. If you missed them as a kid, you may still enjoy them now.

Click on the story name link for a book description and reviews from Amazon if you want to learn more.

Folktales, Fairy Tales & Legends

These are good choices for teaching your student how to understand the messages behind a story. The themes of these classic tales are all very clear and easy for a third grader to understand. Plus, these include a lot of information about other cultures and history. Your child will learn to use reading as a way to enter other worlds.

The Nightingale by Andersen

Tales Our Abuelitas Told: A Hispanic Folktale Collection by Campoy and Ada

Glass Slipper, Gold Sandal: A Worldwide Cinderella by Fleischman

Her Stories: African American Folktales, Fairy Tales, and True Tales by Hamilton

The Wise Fool: Fables from the Islamic World by Husain

The Magical Monkey King: Mischief in Heaven by Jiang

Just So Stories by Kipling

The Blue Fairy Book by Lang

Nelson Mandela’s Favorite African Folktales by Mandela

Pegasus by Mayer

More Bones: Scary Stories from Around the World by Olson

The Beautiful Stories of Life: Six Greek Myths, Retold by Rylant